About the PDBF

The Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) is the national governing body for dragon boat racing in the Philippines as recognized by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF), the Asian Dragon Boat Federation (ADBF) and the Southeast Asia Traditional Boat Association. From 2003 to 2011, the PDBF was the national sports association (NSA) for dragon boat paddling. Since its founding in 2003, the PDBF has brought home gold medals and world records for the country through the different regional and world championships in dragon boat. 

In the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine Dragon Boat National Team under the PDBF swept six gold medals in all dragon boat events. Two years after, the PDBF National Dragon Boat Team set the world record for the Men’s Open 200 Meters in 2007 during the 8th IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Sydney, Australia. This world record was unchallenged for two years until the PDBF Philippine National Dragon Boat Team broke its own world record for the same category in 2009 during the 9th IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, registering a time of 40.02 seconds. This record would remain the fastest time for any dragon boat crew for the ten years. It also set another world record in the Mixed Standard Category during the same world Championship. 

In 2011, just a few months before the world championships and while the dragon boat athletes were at their peak, the Philippine government withdrew funding to the PDBF as it was stripped of its NSA status. Such move was highly controversial and contested until now because of the blatant violation of the bylaws of the Philippine Olympic Committee when PDBF was removed without the required meeting and votation from the general assembly, in addition to false representations that allegedly came from the International Olympic Committee, which later on categorically denied having issued a directive that dragon boat racing should be subsumed in another boating sport. This notwithstanding, the PDBF pushed on with the world championship in Tampa, Florida, USA that year, and brought home five gold and two silver medals, with all five gold medals becoming world records.

The most recent wins of the PDBF include the 2019 and 2022 IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships where the PDBF's Para-Dragon Team from Cebu bagged gold medals for the country. A full list of the PDBF's achievements can be viewed HERE.

Today, the PDBF operates as a non-stock, non-profit federation of 30 club team members all over the Philippines with 2,500 member athletes, hands-down the biggest national federation for dragon boat in the  that continue to give glory to the country and our people in world championships and international dragon boat competitions. It also has the biggest number of IDBF-licensed race officials, coaches, and steersmen in the Philippines. Despite not being recognized by the NSA for dragon boat racing, its international federations, the IDBF, the ADBF and the SEATBA continue to recognize the PDBF as the sole governing body for dragon boat racing in the Philippines. 

Dragon boating is an activity that originated in ancient China. In the 1980’s it was introduced to the Philippines by Mr. Benjamin Ramos, the founder of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF). Mr. Ramos, along with the pioneers in rowing and dragon boat paddling were invited to participate in the dragon boat races in Hong Kong during the mid-80’s. The team from the Philippines found the sport exciting and lucrative prompting the Philippines to more actively participate in races abroad under the auspices of the defunct Amateur Rowing Association of the Philippines (ARAP), the predecessor of the PDBF and other rowing sports associations. 

With the increasing popularity of the sport and the achievements building up for the Philippine team in the 90s, the ARAP eventually decided to develop dragon boat as a separate sport from other rowing and boating activities. In 2003, the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) was founded. That same year, it was recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee as the national sports association (NSA) for the dragon boat racing sport. Up to this day, the PDBF remains the national governing body for dragon boat in the Philippines as recognized by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF), the world governing body for dragon boat recognized by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and the Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sports (AIMS). The Philippines, through PDBF, is the founding member of the IDBF.

The achievements of the Philippines in dragon boating were unprecedented. It raked medals in world championships, Asian championships and various international festivals. To cite a few, the Philippine National Dragon Boat Team set the world record for the Men’s Open 200 Meters in 2007 during the 8th IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Sydney, Australia. This world record was unchallenged for two years until the Philippine national team under the PDBF broke its own world record for the same category in 2009 during the 9th IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, registering a time of 40.02 seconds. This record would remain the fastest time for any dragon boat crew for the next decade. In 2011, sans government support, the PDBF team brought home five gold and two silver medals from the 10th IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships held in Florida, USA. In 2019, the PDBF team brought 4 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals in the 14th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Pattaya, Thailand. The list of other notable awards and achievements of the federation is attached herein.

In 2011, the Philippine government withdrew government funding to the PDBF as it was stripped of its NSA status based on false information and in violation of the bylaws of the Philippine Olympic Committee which requires that at least 2/3 vote of the general assembly of NSAs should vote for the removal of an NSA. No such assembly or votation ever happened. Thankfully, the International Dragon Boat Federation, the Asian Dragon Boat Federation, and other international bodies continue to recognize the PDBF as the national governing body for dragon boat in the Philippines despite not being an NSA. 

Although disenfranchised, the PDBF continues to grow the dragon boat paddling sport in the Philippines by organizing races in Metro Manila and various provinces all over the Philippines. With the help of private partners, the PDBF regularly organizes its quarterly dragon boat regatta which serves as the basis for the national rankings of dragon boat teams in the Philippines under the PDBF. The PDBF also participates in international races, world championships and regional championships through its member club teams including the four power house military teams: the Philippine Army, the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Coast Guard. During world championships, the PDBF solidifies its elite crew to participate in IDBF sanctioned races that need national representation.

For 2023, the PDBF intends to advance the following major priority programs: (1) solidify the Philippine elite dragon boat team to participate in world championships; (2) organize bigger and better national and international races; (3) establish grassroots dragon boat organizations in the provinces through dragon boat clinics and local races; and (4) provide a more conducive training platform for PDBF member clubs and athletes.